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| Break Out! | ||
| Spring break retreats that offer upscale fun for the whole family. | ||
| BY JANE LONGSHORE & LIBBA YOUNG | ||
[SKI] Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort & Spa
In addition to the fabled ski school at Beaver Creek, kids at Park Hyatt can take advantage of the activities offered through Camp Hyatt, including outdoor snow painting, winter hiking, Polar Bear swims, ice skating, scavenger hunts, winter crafts, and snowman making. Evening options include making s’mores, storytelling with Mrs. Gooseberry, or watching a favorite movie while eating popcorn. The resort also features the completely remodeled Allegria Spa and Fitness Center, an outdoor heated pool and five hot tubs, concierge services, and easy access to Beaver Creek Village’s plentiful activities and attractions. Details
Half Moon
The resort has preserved much of its storied history despite numerous renovations and a recent multi-million dollar rebuilding of its beachfront rooms. Today, accommodations at Half Moon include guestrooms, suites, and three-to-seven-bedroom villas, each with its own personal staff and pool. Eleven of the original cottages remain, a tribute to the legacy of the founders, whose descendants remain as resort shareholders. Half Moon also features a championship, par-72 Robert Trent Jones, Sr. golf course, an 18-hole putting green, 13 tennis courts, a full range of water sports, an exclusive natural Dolphin Lagoon, six gourmet restaurants, a full-service spa, and a shopping village. The resort has also introduced the Anancy Children’s Village at Half Moon, themed after Jamaica’s fabled children’s character Anancy the Spider. This children’s play area is modeled after a colorful traditional village, with shaded play areas, activity rooms, a wading pool, a sand box, and an expansive outdoor play area. There, children ages three to 12 can create puppet shows in Tacoomah Hut, enjoy cold refreshments in Patoo’s Lookout, and get creative in Artsy Kraftsy. There is also plenty for older children including tennis clinics, volleyball, nature walks, golf, squash, horseback riding, and water sports. Details
Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa
Families especially appreciate the oceanfront cabanas, available for daily rental and featuring showers, televisions, and lounge chairs, which serve as a convenient home base for days spent in the surf. A Tiki Bar located on the beach offers casual dining, or guests may raise a beach chair flag for personal food and beverage service. In addition to the beach, the resort features an 8,000-square-foot tropical lagoon pool with waterfalls and poolside whirlpool baths. A full range of rental equipment, from beach mats and umbrellas, to wave runners and scuba gear, makes it easy to take advantage of the plethora of activities on offer. Beachside Buddies offers children ages five to 12 sports, arts and crafts, swimming, theme days, and games, all under the supervision of the resort’s recreation staff. Families who venture off property will find plenty of keep them entertained in Fort Lauderdale, including Wannadoo City, America’s first indoor role-playing theme park for kids, the Museum of Science and Discovery/IMAX Theater, and the Riverwalk Arts and Entertainment District, with its rows of shops and restaurants, accessible by car or water taxi. For adults seeking some down time, the resort offers an $8 million, full-service spa, playing privileges at a selection of private courses, tennis courts, and fine dining at 3030 Ocean, one of South Florida’s leading modern American seafood restaurants helmed by Executive Chef Dean James Max. Details
The Bishop’s Lodge Ranch Resort & Spa
Invoking the spirit of the Southwest with an atmosphere of earthen palettes, richly textured Navajo rugs, and glowing stone fireplaces, the resort offers a variety of accommodations divided among 15 lodges. These include traditional rooms, featuring historic photos of the resort and, in many rooms, the adobe and viga construction common to Santa Fe; deluxe rooms, featuring kiva fireplaces and patios or balconies with lounge seating; and deluxe suites, with separate living and sleeping areas, patios or balconies, and gas or wood-burning fireplaces. The resort also offers a selection of private two- and three-bedroom villas, providing family vacations with an additional level of privacy. Details
The Ritz-Carlton, Cancun
All guestrooms and suites offer breathtaking views of the Caribbean Sea, private balconies or terraces, and a wealth of premium amenities, including thrice daily maid service, 400 thread-count linens, gourmet espresso machines, rainforest showerheads, marble bath with double vanities and separate tub and shower, and flat-screen televisions. The hotel’s three “Itzy, Bitzy Ritz Kids Rooms” offer additional convenience for parents traveling with infants as they come equipped with a safety approved crib and a changing table over the chest of drawers; miniature hangers to fit an infant’s wardrobe; a telephone programmed to light up, not ring; and a “Shh, baby sleeping” sign that is personalized for each guest. Perhaps most renowned for its vibrant nightlife and white sand beaches, Cancun is also a gateway to archaeological treasures, colonial cities, and natural wonders. The Ritz-Carlton concierge can arrange sightseeing trips to impressive Mayan sites at Tulum, Cobá, and Chichén-Itzá; snorkeling, scuba diving, and deep-sea fishing excursions; or shopping trips to sophisticated malls or downtown Cancun’s open-air market. Details
Catamaran Resort Hotel
The resort’s location right on Mission Bay and full Watersports Rental Center make it ideal for pedal boating, surfing, boogie boarding, windsurfing, kayaking, sailing, powerboating, and more. The Mad Science Kid’s Camp (available during the summer months) offers fun and educational science activities such as “Space: The Final Frontier,” “Fun With Forces,” and “Bubbling Potions.” And, of course, San Diego offers plenty of family fun, from the thrilling rides at Belmont Park and larger-than-life toys at Legoland, to world-famous Seaworld and the San Diego Zoo, to Padres baseball and Chargers football. Details
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With the completion of a $20 million renovation, the 190-room Park Hyatt Beaver Creek continues to be one of Vail’s top family resorts. Not surprisingly, skiing is the perennial favorite activity at Park Hyatt, located in the heart of Beaver Creek Village, and offering ski-in, ski-out access from the lobby. Ski season runs from mid-November through mid-April, with slopes open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Beaver Creek offers trails and terrain for every skill level, including 1,850 acres of skiable terrain, 146 ski runs, and 16 chair lifts, including 10 high-speed (lift tickets are interchangeable with Vail Ski Resort). Signature Park Hyatt services include Ski Valets, who store your skis, boards, poles, and boots each night, and ensure your boots are dry and warm by morning. 
Nestled on 400 acres of tropical landscape on Jamaica’s northern coast, the colonial-style Half Moon resort has been welcoming guests for more than 50 years. In 1954, a group of investors including Donald Deskey, designer of Radio City Music Hall; Harvey Firestone, Jr. of The Firestone Tire and Rubber Company; and Mrs. Laurence Armour of U.S. meat packaging giant Armour Packing Company, chose to build an exclusive vacation resort on a swathe of crescent beach they named Half Moon. That same year Half Moon Golf, Tennis & Beach Club officially opened with 17 whitewashed cottages and 30 beachfront homes. Over the years, the resort has attracted numerous luminaries including Joan Crawford and her husband Alfred Steel (CEO of Pepsi-Cola); Clark Gable; HRH Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, and HRH the Prince of Wales; John F. and Jacqueline Kennedy; then-Vice President George H.W. Bush. 
Fort Lauderdale has worked diligently to shed its free-for-all, Spring Break image, and with the opening of several luxury properties in the area in recent years, the transformation seems complete. Situated on South Florida’s largest private beach, Marriott Harbor Beach Resort and Spa underwent a $25 million renovation in 2007, further enhancing its status as a Fort Lauderdale family favorite. Most of the 600-plus rooms feature balconies, and all 35 suites offer balconies with expansive ocean views.
Nestled on 450 acres at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains lies The Bishop’s Lodge Ranch Resort & Spa, a secluded sanctuary minutes from downtown Santa Fe’s famed Plaza. Originally a private retreat for the city’s first archbishop, the resort is a family favorite for its plentiful menu of onsite, four-season activities, including the largest outdoor pool in Santa Fe, surrounded by lush lawns and towering cottonwoods; miles of trails for hiking and guided horseback rides; tennis courts; and a skeet and trap range. The year-round Camp Appaloosa offers activities for children ages five to 11, including crafts, sports, horseback riding, and swimming, as well as an Evening Round Up featuring games and movies. From Memorial Day through Labor Day, the activities team also schedules daily family events, such as bubble gum blowing contests, potato sack races, hula-hoop contests, nature hikes, and scavenger hunts. Year-round Family Craft-making activities include poolside tie-dye, mosaic stepping stone class, pumpkin carving, or wreath decorating.
In contrast to the mass market, mega-resort quality of many Mexican vacations, families appreciate the laid-back luxury of The Ritz-Carlton, Cancun and its variety of lively recreation options. While adults indulge in amenities such as cooking classes or tequila tastings at The Culinary Center, the luxurious Kayantá Spa, the new Cliff Drysdale Tennis Club, and award-winning restaurants, kids can take part in the Kids Camp program, which offers a variety of supervised activities, including piñata parties, seahorse riding, and pool activities, especially for children ages four to 12. Kids Night Out evening programs include Friday night Bubble Parties, with karaoke, musical chairs, and arts and crafts, and Saturday Safari Nights, in which kids enjoy outdoor adventures.
The Catamaran Resort Hotel is a San Diego institution, the kind of place where locals go year after year for family get-togethers. The hotel and surrounding area was originally the summer estate of the Scripps family, called Braymore. In 1958, William D. Evans acquired the property and began construction of a modest 82-room inn and a pier that has not changed much since the property was first purchased. However, Evans did change the décor, from a Spanish design to the tropical/Hawaiian theme which continues to this day, from the exotic lobby waterfall and pond to traditional Pacific Island art that adorns the resort’s interior and grounds, including totem poles that were handcrafted in Bali specifically for the resort. Throughout the property guests will also find a menagerie of colorful birds including macaws, parrots, and cockatoos (an exotic bird room offers a closer look at the resort’s feathered guests) and ponds with frogs, crayfish, catfish, and koi.
